Virgin Trains has established partnerships with HM Prison Service, the Scottish Prison Service and private prison operators – all of whom work with inmates who are nearing the end of their sentence and need jobs.

Kathryn Wildman said Virgin Trains had incorporated prison jobs fairs into its normal recruitment programme after they proved successful in finding talented candidates.

She said: ‘We started this process three years ago with relatively modest ambitions. But we’ve been really pleased with the calibre of candidates we’ve managed to attract through prison recruitment events and our wider ex-offenders programme and so we’ve decided to incorporate these into our regular calendar of recruitment events.

‘This isn’t just about helping society and giving people a chance to turn their lives around. It’s hiring the best people no matter what their background is.’

The train operator has been actively recruiting people with criminal convictions since 2013 when founder Sir Richard Branson challenged Virgin businesses and the wider business community to help reduce re-offending.

Scotland’s Justice Secretary Michael Matheson MSP said: ‘We are working with the public sector, including the Scottish Prison Service, and private businesses to make it easier for people with convictions to find employment.’